International fleet-management application provider DRVR is providing access to telematics-based information about vehicles, as well as their location and status, across thousands of miles, via its global Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity partner, Tata Communications. The system that Tata Communications provides—Tata's MOVE-IOT Connect SIM technology—enables DRVR to use seamless mobile connectivity for its customers when crossing borders, or as farm vehicles move through remote agricultural areas.

DRVR (pronounced "driver") is a solution provider that serves companies managing fleets of vehicles, as well as vehicle manufacturers themselves. It was launched in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2015. The firm's technology includes sensors and telematics boxes installed within a vehicle, a wireless connection to the internet, an app and a Web portal with which users can access information from the company's DRVR Engine software, involving everything from a truck driver's behavior to fuel management.

DRVR's David Henderson

The system aims to prevent fresh food spoilage due to temperature fluctuation, the company explains. For instance, a temperature sensor built into a truck's container can capture conditions inside that container during transit. It can also help users to better manage their dispatching of vehicles and cut fuel costs based, for instance, on information about traffic. Moreover, if a vehicle's door were left open for a period of time, or at a certain location, outside acceptable perimeters, the software could forward a reminder to the vehicle's driver, provided that he or she had the DRVR app downloaded onto his or her Android or iOS device or other telematics machine.

At present, the company is targeting businesses in Asia that are growing exponentially and manage a fleet of vehicles that cross borders or simply operate across areas served by multiple wireless network operators. Without a system like DRVR's, says David Henderson, the firm's co-founder and CEO, they may lack easy access to fleet data as vehicles move across countries or the Asian continent.

To illustrate how much commercial traffic has increased in parts of Asia, Henderson cites some border-crossing statistics. For example, a year ago, trucks carrying legitimate goods rarely crossed the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Now, there are approximately 150 such crossings daily. "Cross-border mobility is going to be quite a bit more prevalent than it has been in the past," says Anthony Bartolo, Tata Communications' chief product officer of collaboration, mobility and IoT.

However, there are hundreds of local cellular service providers in the areas in which DRVR's customers travel, the firm reports, and the only way to access data across all of those regions is to have a contract with every telecom company in each region. "I don't want to spend time negotiating with telecom execs across Asia," Henderson states.